The First Page
by Rose Fortress
Summary: Kiku's routine third-wheel role to Alfred and Arthur during a visit to a bar takes an unexpected turn when he meets a man who seems to be interested in him and who Kiku finds himself inexorably drawn to in return. Greece/Japan with various side pairings.


Originally written for the Hetalia kink meme prompt "Any/Any - based on Taylor Swift's "Enchanted"," with some minor edits done in this version.

The main pairing in this fic is Greece/Japan, but there are also side pairings of America/England and France/Spain (although I intended for the latter to be just France being France and nothing more than that, but you can easily see it as more than that if you wish) and mentions of one-sided Japan/America.

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><p>When Alfred had texted Kiku about them going out for drinks together with Arthur, Kiku had wanted to politely decline his offer. The inclusion of Arthur's name indicated that this outing would consist mainly of Arthur getting progressively drunker and flirtier towards Alfred who would initially laugh at him before flirting right back, all while Kiku quietly sat off to one side and tried his best to focus on something other than Alfred's delighted laughs or the forget-me-too allure of alcohol. He <em>had<em>, in fact, sent Alfred an initial reply apologizing about how he didn't think he had the time for such an outing.

Alfred, however, had promptly sent Kiku a second text insisting that he _needed_ him because they all knew how drunk off his ass Arthur became without proper supervision and how Alfred himself wasn't above the occasional chug of beer, so they _needed_ Kiku and his irreplaceable designated driver skills above all, and Kiku had caved in. As pushy and oblivious as Alfred could be, he was still Kiku's best friend and...well, Kiku couldn't possibly refuse the pleadings of someone he felt so much for, in spite of having accepted over a month ago that quietly agreeing with everything Alfred said would not change the fact that he had eyes only for Arthur and vice versa.

It was thus that Kiku found himself sitting off to one end of the bar within earshot of Alfred and Arthur's increasingly slurred and explicit conversation, politely refusing the bartender's repeated offer of a drink and giving equally polite replies whenever Alfred remembered that he was still there and threw a question his way. Yes, he was doing just fine, thank you for asking. Yes, Arthur could be perceived as cute when drunk. Yes, he knew there were (other) attractive men at this gay bar. No, he didn't think that any of them would be attracted to a short Asian man who had the mindset of an old, luckless man. No, he didn't know anything about this supposed guy who kept on checking him out and Alfred didn't need to point right at...

His words trailed off when he saw that there was indeed a man looking directly at him. Kiku hastily turned away to finish replying to Alfred that he really wasn't in the mood for any further romantic entanglements, only to find Alfred busy poking at Arthur's flushed cheeks once again.

Kiku silently resumed his original posture and unseeing gaze on the vodka stash behind the bar, except that there was now a lingering thought in his mind that wasn't related to alcohol or Alfred. He had only glanced over at the unknown man for a second, but his mind had already half-formed an impression of sleepy alertness which should be impossible to pull off.

Slowly, he turned his head to look at the man again and saw that the man's eyes were half-lidded but a shade of green that was untouched by drunken haziness and seemed to gain a luster to them whenever they focused on something. He directed these eyes towards a blond man at the same table as him who appeared to have divested himself and a Spaniard of their shirts and soberness and then back towards Kiku with a small smile and tilt of his head towards his two rowdy table mates as if saying, _I know how you feel._

Kiku felt the corners of his mouth tug up unconsciously, which took him by surprise as his earlier smiles had all been put on for Alfred's benefit. He forced his lips back into a blank expression and looked away from this stranger who didn't even know his name and yet was acting as if he already knew him from some place, but it didn't take long for his restless mind to point out that said stranger was still far more interesting to look at than the unchanging bottles at the back of the bar and wasn't it a mystery how this stranger had apparently singled him out from the tall, handsome men in this bar for attention?

Against his better reason, Kiku turned to examine the man again. A lock of the man's shoulder-length brown hair had fallen in front of his eyes; he brushed it away with one tanned hand, giving Kiku another full view of his eyes that sent his mind into another confused state because not only did this man somehow manage to look both sleepy and alert at the same time, but his gaze on him managed to be curious and even enticing without making Kiku feel as if he was a sheep being sized up by a hungry wolf. It actually unnerved him more than a wanton leer would have, as the leer would have left him with no hesitation to pointedly ignore him, whereas this more gently inquisitive look left him half-wanting to actually respond to it.

The man placed his hand on the empty chair next to him and said something that Kiku couldn't hear across the physical distance between them, but the cocking of his head towards the chair made the gist of his statement clear.

Kiku's face reddened. He was already far more fascinated with this man than he should be, and wasn't Alfred supposed to be...? He glanced to his right to see that Alfred was currently waggling his fingers in the air as if conducting Arthur's drunken rendition of the ballad of Eskimo Nell, and quickly looked back at the man in mortification.

The man, in response, merely glanced over his shoulder at his own friends who seemed to have similarly forgotten basic rules of decorum and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders as if to say _well, that's two best drinking buddies for you_, before giving Kiku a smile and getting up from his chair.

Kiku blinked. _Is he really–?_ his mind managed to get out before it became clear that yes, the man was indeed walking directly over to him. His new upright position also made Kiku distinctly aware of just how tall and well-built he was, and the better lighting at Kiku's end of the bar meant that he saw more details and texture of the man's tousled chestnut hair and olive skin the closer he got.

The man slid onto the seat to the left of Kiku, his legs a respectable distance away from Kiku's but not nearly far away enough for Kiku to avoid noticing how long they were and _had Kiku just shamelessly ogled a stranger?_

Then the man introduced himself to Kiku, and he went from a complete stranger who Kiku had no business being so interested in to a new acquaintance with whom it would be unspeakably rude for Kiku _not_ to show at least some interest in. His name was Heracles Karpusi and the two friends he had come with were Francis and Antonio who had talked him into taking the place of their normal third drinking buddy Gilbert just for tonight and he wanted to know if the man he just met had a similar story to tell, ending with an expectant look at Kiku.

Kiku was momentarily flustered because this introduction felt so casual and yet so earnest, but even in that flustered moment he knew he was indeed going to reply to this Heracles who was smiling gently at him and the words soon came easily to him - surprisingly easy, in fact. He told Heracles his name and official designation as sober driver and timekeeper of Alfred and Arthur, which caused Heracles to glance over at the intimate duo for a second before turning back to Kiku with a wry smile and saying that he was also obliged to remain as sober as Kiku even as people got spectacularly drunk all around them. It made Heracles wish that he had the foresight to bring something here to occupy him.

Kiku couldn't argue with that. He always forgot to bring a book with him every time he went out with Alfred and Arthur like this, for some reason.

A cat would have helped too.

A cat?

Oh...Heracles hadn't told Kiku about his feline hobby yet, had he? It was the one thing everyone who had talked with him for at least five minutes knew about him, so Kiku might as well know about it too. Taking care of cats had become a part-time job of sorts for him ever since a homeless kitten had approached him and his five-year-old self had thought it the cutest thing ever. His mother had dragged him away before he could interact with it further, but that had been only the beginning of Heracles' name becoming inexorably linked with cats instead of the Greek hero among his family and friends...

Hearing someone begin talking about how one stray cat he had taken in had gradually led to more than ten cats occupying his home while entirely sober in a bar was a new and somewhat surreal experience for Kiku, but he found himself genuinely absorbed in Heracles' story. Heracles didn't make this story out to be some extraordinary or heart-tugging tale; he simply told it as it was and let Kiku judge the story for himself. Kiku, who found this light-hearted tale to be a welcome break from his recent trains of thought, felt his lips curve up at the mental image of Heracles being followed by cats like the Pied Piper with his rats, but to a much happier fate.

When Heracles finished his story, he blinked at Kiku as if making sure that he was still there and then commented with a bit of a chuckle that this was the first time his conversation partner's eyes hadn't glazed over when he got caught up in listing his cats' names. Either Kiku must have been really bored before, or he was one of the best listeners around.

The former could be considered true, Kiku admitted, although he did happen to like cute and fuzzy animals too.

Really? Was Kiku's house a similar home for animals, then?

Oh no, nothing close to that. Kiku loved cats but he had never actually adopted one; the only pet he had was a small dog named Pochi who was very well-behaved and cute, but who Kiku wouldn't be able to spin as long a story about as Heracles could for his twelve cats.

That didn't mean Kiku had less of a right to talk about Pochi as Heracles had about Corporal Cat, Artemis, and his other ten cats. Besides, Heracles believed it was Kiku's turn to talk a little bit about the first things people normally learned about him; things that he wouldn't be uncomfortable telling to a relative stranger but would give Heracles a little bit of insight about the kind of person he was.

Was Heracles normally this curious about new people? Kiku couldn't help asking.

Sort of. Heracles had always been referred to as "catlike" by others, curiosity being one of his catlike traits. Although it wasn't just any person who could capture his interest in a crowded and noisy bar, he added, his eyes striking Kiku as distinctly catlike with their pure greenness and the way they could take in many details with a single lazy glance across a room or person.

Kiku felt his face heat up, but also a strange thrill course through him, and he began talking about himself. He had meant to keep his end of the conversation short and simple as he normally did, but found his sentences becoming longer and more detailed as Heracles gazed at him and even rested his cheek against his hand in a disconcertingly attractive way, because the more Kiku talked about himself, the more Heracles would talk about himself in return in that deep voice of his. Heracles wasn't just a massive cat lover, but also a devout memorizer of myths and folktales from all over the world, a Grecian who hoped that his homeland was still as beautiful as he remembered it to be in spite of the current riots, an amateur sculptor who was trying to make his noses look less like wedges of cheese...

Their conversation flowed back and forth like a gentle river, its waters sparkling and fresh and Kiku continuing to gaze into its depths to see the life and colors contained within them. He was slowly, inexorably being drawn back into the feeling of wanting to close his eyes, stretch out his arms, and let himself go for once and trust in the support below, but he couldn't bring himself to get angry at himself or Heracles for reviving this feeling within him.

Their conversation had to end eventually, however, and it did when a sudden pressure against Kiku's right side alerted him to Arthur's new passed-out state and Alfred preventing him from fully slumping against Kiku with one arm as he straightened out his glasses and asked Kiku with a drunken laugh if he had seen Arthur's eyebrows rise from his head and float away too.

Kiku turned back to Heracles and murmured an apology about how he wanted to continue their conversation but he really should drive his friends back home now.

That was all right; it was almost time for Heracles to escort Francis and Antonio home too, in fact. Would he be seeing Kiku again at this bar sometime in the future?

Kiku usually didn't go to bars unless his friends persuaded him to, but perhaps...

Perhaps Kiku would enjoy a second meeting and conversation in a quieter place?

Huh?

Heracles smiled and drew out a pen from his pocket, uncapping it with a quick movement and holding it aloft in his hand. Would Kiku be willing to lend him his hand for a couple of seconds?

...Yes. He would be willing to do that.

Heracles turned Kiku's hand over so that his palm was facing him and began moving his pen across its skin. His left hand kept a gentle, steadying hold around Kiku's fingers as he wrote slowly and deliberately on his palm, and Kiku held himself very still as his mind recorded the feel of Heracles' warm fingers shifting farther down his palm as he continued writing on it and the shine in Heracles' eyes that looked almost luminous from this angle...

Done. Kiku was free to call him anytime he wished; if Heracles didn't answer right away, it was because he was currently working, feeding his cats or taking a nap, and he'd be sure to call back Kiku as soon as he got the time.

Kiku stared at the numbers and dashes inked onto his right palm and turned his hand over a couple of times to make sure they were actually there and not a part of his imagination. He looked back up at Heracles and opened his mouth to tell him that he would be sure to, that he still wasn't quite sure how he had gone from brooding in a corner of the bar to extending his hand to him in less than three hours, or that he needed to make sure that this was genuine and not a dream or joke to halt the cynical side of him that was beginning to stir back to life.

His tongue faltered on these words that couldn't be all conveyed clearly in a single night, and he ended up giving Heracles a simple thank you and goodbye instead.

The next hour seemed to pass by in a blur, ending with Kiku lying on his bed after having dropped Alfred and Arthur off at their apartment and tracing the still-clear numbers on his palm. The practical side of him had reemerged before long and pointed out that this could be a fake number and Heracles, a man he had known for only a couple of hours, could have only pretended to be interested in him or been interested solely in getting his defenses down.

Furthermore, Heracles could be in love with someone else too. The thought of this night leading to only disappointment and heartbreak in the end just like his similarly magical-seeming first meeting with Alfred had caused Kiku to quietly close his fingers over the numbers on his palm and stare up at the ceiling of his darkened room.

He wanted to believe that Heracles was interested in him. He truly wanted to believe that he would see Heracles again and more than once in the future, but did a single – if admittedly long – conversation and a couple of lingering glances merit this kind of anticipation from him?

Yes.

This word was whispered by the other, hidden side of Kiku that still remembered his brother's tales of butterflies and red string with enough strength and firmness to speak out against his practical side. _Yes_. Even if it had been just one night, it didn't mean that it had no substance to it. Every book had to have a first page, and this first meeting might very well be a start that could be developed into something rich and meaningful with the right amount of work and encouragement. It might not have been the case for him and Alfred, but this didn't mean that he and Heracles were doomed to follow the same path, especially when Heracles was an entirely different person from Alfred.

Kiku thought back to how he had felt the attraction gradually build up over the course of his nonverbal and verbal exchanges with Heracles and how his overarching desire had been to know Heracles as an individual and not just a ridiculously attractive bar patron, and also the encouraging smiles and lingering looks Heracles had given him, and his right hand uncurled and relaxed against his chest. The entirety of his interactions with Heracles couldn't have been a mere dream or enchantment. There had been something real behind them, something deeper than Heracles' good looks and Kiku's loneliness that had made him breathe easier and smile more than he had in a long time. It might not have been love, for actual love needed more than a single glance across the room or engaging conversation to fully ripen, but it was quite possible for there to be mutual like and an interest in seeing each other again after the first encounter. This could be exactly what Kiku needed for a new start and relationship unburdened with memories of his past romantic troubles.

With a soft exhale of breath, Kiku let his head sink into his pillow and his eyes flutter shut. He would still have to deal with the questions and worries that accompanied all of this, but they could wait until morning.

For tonight, he would let himself dream.

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><p>Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, especially ones about how well or poorly I did with Japan and Greece's characterizations, as that was my main concern while writing this fic.<p> 


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